The costume vault

For the past two years I've been working (rather on and off, one might add) in a series of articles dedicated to the immense wardrobe of Padme Amidala in the Star Wars Prequels. I don't focus on absolutely every dress, I only look at those that are either memorable or that has really interesting influences behind. Up to this point, I've done three gowns of The Phantom Menace and three of Attack of the Clones. At this point, I will not do anymore for Episode I, because most of them (if not all) are Asian inspired and there are just so many ways of talking about geisha attire and imperial attire. But for Episode II I will do between three and four more, that I will try to publish before the end of the year (if life and work don't get in the way). But for the moment, as a little retrospective, I've designed these little graphic companions for every one of the designs that I've done so far, which will also be added to the original articles. To see them ...

After this long break, I will continue this series of posts with this next dress. This is the dress that I call the "Coruscant Pre-Senate Gown" because she wears it in a very brief scene right before she makes her appearance in the Coruscant Senate. This is not one of the most well-known dress, but it’s a beautiful piece of design, so I thought it was worth the effort. The dress consists of a crimped mauve under-gown under a stiff, turquoise dress with intricate patterns, and over this; a light gray robe held together with a wide, embroidered sash. The sleeves of the robe are wide and somewhat stiff, with curling needlework along the sides. A fan-like headdress adorns her hairstyle, which is finished off with antique lace, pearl beadings and glass filaments. Just like with the “senate” gown, the influences behind this design are really simple and easy to identify. The dress is based on the traditional Japanese kimono. And the headpiece is a mix betwee...

Let’s continue with the thorough examination of the designs of Padme Amidala’s dresses. This second post in the series will be dedicated to the also terribly famous “senate” gown from “The Phantom Menace”. She wears this dress during her plea at the senate in Coruscant, and it has grown to become a terribly well-known gown. This gown has several layers to it. The base layer is a bright orange silk dress, with a high collar decorated with ornate gold stitchwork and beads. Over this, she wears a dark red overdress with orange hems decorated with gold brocade. This overdress has big sleeves and its embroider with rosettes. Above this, she wears a dark and thick faux fur cloak with shoulder pads that make her look twice her size. Although what really made this dress iconic, is the headdress that accompanied it. Amidala's hair was dressed in a wide arc centered by a golden headpiece with golden hairbands to keep her hair's shape. This arc was decorated with dangling ...

I’ve decided to start this blog by dedicating the first posts to the designs of Padme Amidala’s dresses in the first three episodes of Star Wars. Although  I’m not particularly fond of these movies, I have to give some credit to their wardrobe design and the thought and creativity that went into it.  I will look into the most iconic dresses of Padme Amidala and do a breakdown of the influences behind them. Each post will be dedicated to one of these dresses. The first one of these series is the one I like to call the “Red Invasion” gown. It’s featured the first time we see Natalie Portman’s character in The Phantom Menace, and it’s probably one of the most iconic gowns she has. This gown is made of embroidered silk and faux fur that lines the double collar, tabards, double sleeves and hem. The alien-like touch is given to the dress by the electric lights placed on the skirt, that are made to resemble ladybugs. The headpiece that accompanies ...